Youthism

Youth Activism

Are you willing to put your life on the line if your loved ones are always afraid and your family may be torn apart?

Join the New Sanctuary Coalition as we hear from two young men who have done just that. Marco Saavedra, went into prison to save others and Luis Guerra, fought to get out of prison for others, going beyond the call of duty to fight for justice. We will also be joined by Chloe Smolarski director of the film Admissions.

Where: Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church

619 Lexington Ave NY NY 10022( cor 54th St and Lexington)

Take the 6, E and M trains to Lexington and 51st subway stop.

When: Friday September 20th

6pm. (doors open at 5:30)

Program:

Admissions – a film of Students Stories from Undocumented America

Chloe Smolarski, Tasha Darbes & Undocumented students

Activities and Actions Updates.

Luis Guerra – Fighting to restrict ICE in Rikers Island. Luis continues his struggle through the immigration. The government refuses to close his case. Sign the petition to support the his and our struggle to keep him here with his family.

We will stand together on Thursday August 22nd to highlight an inhumane immigration law that destroys families and lives. Thousands of immigrants are detained and imprisoned because they are immigrants for months and years. They are then deported to countries where they were born but they have no knowledge and no ties.

At 201 Varick St immigrants are brought here in shackles and taken to an immigration court hearing in chains, shackled hands and feet dehumanized and demonized.

Stand with us to say ” NO MORE DEPORTATIONS!” ” The TIME IS NOW!”, ” LEGALIZATION AND CITIZENSHIP’

On Sunday June 16th we are going to honor our fathers and celebrate with them. We all understand the importance of our fathers not only for their financial, emotional or spiritual support but their presence in our lives. But every month hundreds of our fathers are deported breaking up families and destroying the lives of many sons and daughters who will not have a father in their lives anymore.

The New Sanctuary Coalition of NYC hears the cries of the children and their fathers as they face an uncertain tearful future. We ask that you join us to pray for the fathers who are lost, who are not able to provide for their sons and daughters and who has to live believing that they have failed.

WHAT: NEW SANCTUARY WEEKLY JERICHO WALKS

WHERE: 26 Federal Plaza NY NY (between Worth and Duane St)

(Take the trains 4, 5, and 6 to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall, 1,2,3 A, and C to Chambers St and R, N at City Hall)

Dear God, you are a God of love and you call us to love and to take care of each other so that we can build a society of love, peace and justice.

In this country founded on principles of liberty and justice, millions of our brothers and sisters live under unfair laws that discriminate against them. Millions of our families are divided and separated. Parents and loved ones are deported. Every day, millions of people suffer the pain and anguish of not being able to live in dignity.

This is why we come before you today, in this place of our government, to lead them to their humanity, the love of each other, the love of the stranger and compassion for all as we behold the symbols of the wall of injustice that divides us all.

We know that you are a fair God and that you have listened to our prayers. We know that, in the fullness of time, you will bring down these walls of injustice. We know that you will help us to soften the hearts of our government, politicians and all people so that, very soon, we can have a new immigration law that protects the dignity of all.

We pray you will Give us all the Right to Remain in Justice and in Truth. Amen

The Jericho Walk is a walk of faith led by the New Sanctuary Faith Leaders, their congregants and their allies to highlight and bring attention to an immoral detention and deportation system. The present immigration policy is inhumane and unjust, with millions of people living in fear and hundreds of thousands deported.

This is a weekly vigil in New York City where we walk around the federal immigration building seven times, praying in silence for the right to remain with our families and communities.

On Thursday May 16 we will be in the Hart Senate Building in Washington, DC to pray, witness and to let them know that we are present as faith leaders, congregants, citizens and immigrants while the Judiciary Committee considers our fate. We will share and say a unity prayer during the walk to tear down the walls of injustice that separate us from a fair and humane immigration policy.

The end of the year is here and we have our rituals, proposals, resolutions, promises, projects, etc. in order to receive things for this New Year. We expect to have abundance, health, wealth, peace, and love among many other things for the coming year.

But friend do not forget that life is a gift, a gift from God. With its joys and sorrows, and with its struggles and blessings. Let’s prepare to bid farewell to 2012 a year that God has given us in His infinite love and to be very, very happy and thankful for 2013.

New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City resolutions for 2013 are:
Love conquers all.
Love has no borders.
We are all of one family.
Family is important.
Children are precious.
We can take care of each other.
I am your friend.
Helping another is our tradition.
Fear is the darkness within us – let’s fill each other with the light of love.
Talking is not an abstract concept – we can do it.
Remember our history and past.
Know the seeds we plant today are going to be reaped by our children and children’s children.
We are all equal.
Justice for all.
Right to Remain for all.
Dignity for all.
Freedom not for one but all.
No human being is “illegal” – drop the “i” word and value human dignity.
All who come to our shores recieve fair and humane treatment- reform the detention and deportation system.
Uphold civil rights- end racial profiling and intentional discrimination.
The freedom to seek employment to feed our families – global migration
Fight for justice for all in 2013.

We are taking our above resolutions to pray for that each will manifest and urge you to do the same. (Send us your resolution?) Our prayer is below.

Prayer to give thanks for the end of the year

Lord God, Lord of all eternity,You are the same today and tomorrow, the past and the future.At the end of this year 2012, we wish to thankfor all that we have received from you.Thank you for life and love,which would not have been possible without youHere as we did in the previous monthswe will meet people along this year that we will loveand those that we do not love as muchand we are charged with the task to learn to love and forgive all.Fill us with kindness and joy in our livesso that we can live together and you will be with uswhenever we meet anyone in our lives.In your light, love and peace that only You can give.

Thank you Lord for this past year, thanks!And prepare us to receive the New Year 2013 that comes with a lot of joy and love.Lord, we love you and in you we trust.amen

Dear Friends Who Support Our Indonesian Brothers In Sanctuary, Their Families, and All Indonesians with Unresolved Immigration Committee,

The last time we planned an event to push for the freedom of our Indonesian brothers in Sanctuary was the day after Hurricane Sandy, and a week before the re-election of the President. We had planned to be fairly critical of President Obama and of ICE for their refusal to assist us with our dilemma. We had every reason to feel that way, as this community that we love and have walked with has suffered so greatly. However, maybe it was fortuitous that our efforts were delayed. It seems that the tide is turning (maybe for real this time) and that immigration reform is suddenly a thing of real possibility. Republican Senators and House members who have never spoken openly in support of immigration reform are coming out of the woodwork.

However, until things are resolved, we cannot let up highlighting the fact that for 270 days we have had to offer Sanctuary to numerous people, including the Dads of 7 U.S. Citizen Children, in order to keep our government from deporting them to the country they left in fear in the late 90’s. We have engaged in a rather extreme form of Non-Violent Resistance-Sanctuary-because we have felt the government left us with no other choice.

We cannot let up in our insistence that these Indonesian immigrants and families be shown the same mercy now that the Obama Administration showed them in 2009, when it stopped deporting Indonesians in New Jersey (and in a couple of other states) and instead offered Orders of Supervision.

On December 4th , at 7pm, we will have an event called:

Praying and Singing to
Keep Indonesian Families Together
A Night of food, speeches, song & prayer

We are hoping to get a huge turnout from the community that has rallied, called, visited and stood up for these friends in such dramatic ways since we started our efforts with a vigil 1 year ago this week.

We are inviting guests from political offices, faith leaders and the media. We hope to show all of them how serious we are that these individuals be shown mercy.

Also, we will use the event on December 4th to begin connecting the struggle of the Indonesian community to the larger struggle of immigrants across this nation (to keep families together, stand by US citizen children). Our story is unique, and we will continue to highlight its uniqueness, but there may be ways for us to more fully add our voices to the groundswell of voices pushing for comprehensive immigration reform as well.

Please come and join us. We will make sure that you leave thankful, inspired and ready to reengage in this work until justice and peace embrace!

Below is an email I recently sent to Indonesians who benefited from the Orders of Supervision Program that we set up with ICE during happier times…I encourage you to consider some of the ‘asks’ I make to them in order to help us continue this effort.

Peace, Pastor Seth

Dear Indonesian Community That Participated in the Orders of Supervision Program,

I am writing to you today to touch base. It’s been many months since we were all together in one place. I would like for you to consider, for a moment, the situation we were in 1 year ago. 1 year ago most of you had been told to bring tickets to your December report date and self-deport. After meeting and praying and communicating with Washington and with the local office, many of you were able to resolve your situations. For that we say PRAISE GOD! 47 of you were given Stays of Removal without too much trouble…and another 5 or so have received them in recent months.

There are others, however, who were not so fortunate. The system is very broken still. 15 of the 76 people who met with us last December 1st for our 24 Hour Vigil have been deported or self-deported out of fear of being detained.

And then, there are 9 or so who are either in SANCTUARY or are living in the community in fear of being picked up each and every day. The Reformed Church of Highland Park has stuck by these 9 tirelessly, providing housing, providing financial support as best we can and by tirelessly advocating for them and for ALL OF YOU.

Until Immigration Reformed passes all of you who do not have Green Cards are benefiting from total advocacy on our part, and you are benefiting from the Leadership of those in Sanctuary.

I want to ask two things from you today.

1) Please come to a 7pm-10pm Advent Prayer and Celebration About Keeping Families Together on Tuesday Night, December 4th. Please come ready to SING. We want to hear songs of God’s love and protection and deliverance!

2) Please send a financial contribution (if able) to the Reformed Church of Highland Park Immigration Fund. For those who are living in Sanctuary, many are still paying rent, paying mortgages and trying to afford the things that their children need. For those who have been fortunate enough to work this year, please consider giving to the Immigration Fund. EVERY PENNY YOU GIVE WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE FAMILIES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SANCTUARY, SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO TAKE THE LEAD IN STRUGGLING FOR GOD’S LOVE AND PEACE TO REIGN IN THIS SITUATION. Your donations are tax exempt, as they are part of our mission offering.

Grace to you and peace this Advent. Please remember our efforts on your behalf, and especially remember our brothers in Sanctuary, and their families.